Alright, now onto the last competitive part of PreCAP1, the movepool!
Unlike a normal CAP's movepool, the pre-evolution for a CAP has multiple different restrictions placed on its movepool. Below is a listing of all the different requirements in effect:
The following list of moves must be used as Scratchet's egg movepool:
For convenience, below is the movepool for Tomohawk and all of the author's explanations as to why it got what and what was on his mind.
Typing: Normal / Fighting
Base Stats: 55 HP / 85 Atk / 80 Def / 20 SpA / 70 SpD / 40 Spe
Abilities: Scrappy / Prankster / Vital Spirit (DW)
Unlike a normal CAP's movepool, the pre-evolution for a CAP has multiple different restrictions placed on its movepool. Below is a listing of all the different requirements in effect:
- You must use the entire egg movepool of Tomohawk as Scratchet's egg movepool.
If the parent has egg moves, the pre-evolution needs the same egg moves. No exceptions, no changes. Similarly, the egg groups must be the same. - You cannot add new moves to the movepool that do not appear in Tomohawk's movepool.
If Tomohawk doesn't have a move, that means its pre-evo cannot have that move. Simple as that.
The following list of moves must be used as Scratchet's egg movepool:
Code:
Baton Pass
Confuse Ray
Focus Energy
Haze
Memento
Nature Power
Rapid Spin
Roost
Stealth Rock
Yawn
Here's our pre-evo so far:*bursts in with an epic Final Submission*
Legend:
* - Move is repeated in this or a previous list
. - Move is (almost) required by a different move
! - Move is (almost) required by typing or ability
!! - Move is absolutely required by typing or ability
Bold - A VGM that is not repeated in this or a previous list
00 Sunny Day
00 Aura Sphere
00 Fury Swipes
00 Harden
08 Fury Swipes*
13 Harden*
17 Aerial Ace
20 Morning Sun
23 Whirlwind
29 Rain Dance
33 Earth Power
37 Air Slash
42 Submission
45 Heat Wave
49 Hyper Voice
50 Sky Drop
51 Superpower
53 Rest
55 Hurricane
60 Healing Wish
Unique moves: 18
Unique VGMs: 13
I've taken quite a few creative liberties with the level-up movepool. This CAP is really breaking a lot of ground because it's primary Flying and a Fighting-type with a poor Atk stat. I've always wanted to do a "mage" type learnset, and the shamanistic nature of this CAP has given me the perfect excuse to do so (though my original dream was to reference FF1's Chaos :P ). The "elemental" moves here are Rain Dance, Earth Power, Air Slash and Heat Wave, with Hurricane eventually learned near the end as well.
This learnset is full of sneaky references, which is why I've filled it to the maximum reasonable number of moves. I've incorporated a few of the North American aboriginal creation stories involving the raven (the raven is originally white in Haida myths). It references a myth about the raven stealing the sun, moon, stars (Sunny Day), a firebrand (Heat Wave, I guess), and fresh water (Rain Dance) to give to the mortal world. Sky Drop is somewhat a reference to another myth involving the raven dropping a stone into the ocean to form land. There's also a legend about a seagull and the raven sticking a thorn into its foot, but Spikes is disallowed, so... Aerial Ace and Submission are also here to reference the Street Fighter character T. Hawk. (The anime depicts Aerial Ace as a low-altitude gliding attack, and Submission is similar to the grapple that T. Hawk does.)
The progression is simple enough. I believe that Tomohawk should start off with a "base" special move (Aura Sphere) because it's one of only three special Fighting-type moves. The theme here is that it starts off using naive physical attacks like Fury Swipes and then eventually learns to channel the energies of the spirits and use them. Harden is a reference to Cartoons's original concept, with the fur hardening to act like feathers. I also need a move to fit with Tomohawk's name, a reference to a light axe that is thrown. Giga Impact doesn't quite fit, so Superpower has made it in. Finally, I feel that Tomohawk should get some kind of mind-refresh before getting Hurricane, but Amnesia is banned, so Rest is there instead.
Healing Wish is a cool move IMO; it's kind of a reference to FF6's Sabin (not that anyone used Spiraler or whatever it's called now), but more than that, it just fits somehow with the whole shaman / chieftain deal that this CAP is getting.
05 Roar
06 Toxic!!
08 Bulk Up!
10 Hidden Power!!
11 Sunny Day!*
12 Taunt
15 Hyper Beam!
17 Protect!!
18 Rain Dance*
20 Safeguard.
21 Frustration!!
22 SolarBeam.
26 Earthquake.
27 Return!!
31 Brick Break!
32 Double Team!!
33 Reflect
39 Rock Tomb!
40 Aerial Ace!*
42 Facade!!
44 Rest!!*
45 Attract!!
46 Thief
48 Round!!
49 Echoed Voice.
52 Focus Blast!
54 False Swipe
56 Fling!
58 Sky Drop*
59 Incinerate!!
60 Quash
62 Acrobatics
67 Retaliate!
68 Giga Impact!
70 Flash
78 Bulldoze.
80 Rock Slide!
83 Work Up!!
86 Grass Knot.
87 Swagger!!
90 Substitute!!
94 Rock Smash!!
h2 Fly
h4 Strength!!
Unique moves: 38
Unique VGMs: 16
Most of these are type-move and move-move (almost) requirements. I want to avoid putting in too many Psychic-type moves because I don't think that they fit with the concept (though Reflect is there). Thief is another reference to the trickster aspect mentioned earlier, and a stronger reference to the firebrand is made through Incinerate and Flash. However, despite other Fire-type moves usually being required with Heat Wave, I've chosen not to put them in because I'm already breaking the Fire-type monopoly on level-up Heat Wave.
I also don't have Cut because Tomohawk is an "axe", not a sword (Cut is "Iai Cut", a reference to a sword technique) and this movepool has no claw moves other than Fury Swipes.
Baton Pass (Eevee, Sentret, Furret, Aipom, Ambipom, Girafarig, Mawile, Buneary, Lopunny, Patrat, Watchog)
Confuse Ray (Vulpix, Ninetales, Lapras, Umbreon, Mantine, Stantler, Spoink, Grumpig, Watchog)
Focus Energy (Rattata, Raticate, Nidoran-M, Nidorino, Nidoking, Mankey, Primeape, Torchic, Combusken, Blaziken, Vigoroth, Numel, Camerupt, Stunky, Skuntank)
Haze (Zubat, Golbat, Crobat, Murkrow, Honchkrow)
Memento (Stunky, Skuntank)
Nature Power (Seedot, Nuzleaf, Deerling, Sawsbuck)
Rapid Spin (Sandshrew, Sandslash, Donphan, Torkoal, Drillbur, Excadrill)
Roost (Pidgey, Pidgeotto, Pidgeot, Spearow, Fearow, Hoothoot, Noctowl, Dunsparce, Wingull, Pelipper, Chatot, Pidove, Tranquill, Unfezant, Ducklett, Swanna)
Stealth Rock (Skarmory)
Yawn (Wooper, Quagsire, Dunsparce, Slakoth, Vigoroth, Slaking, Bidoof, Bibarel, Hippopotas, Hippowdon, Pansear, Munna)
Unique moves: 10
Unique VGMs: 9
Also known as the level-up rejects, honestly. Most of these are competitive moves that I really wanted on Tomohawk but couldn't fit into level-up or the machines. You may in particular notice my inclusion of Rapid Spin. Sorry, Delibird :( I think that this is a potentially great move for Tomohawk, and I'd personally like to see what Tomohawk can do with it. Will it be devastatingly effective like Excadrill, or will it be kind of lame like Forretress?
I've put Roost into the egg movepool because Tomohawk isn't really a bird (yeah, "Feather Rest", but still). But it still breeds with birds...? -.- Best not to think about it.
Total unique moves: 66
Total VGMs: 38
Some general comments
I'll admit that my movepool is mostly based on flavour, but the competitive theme here is a small but precise non-attacking movepool. I didn't put in every non-attacking move that "seems interesting" because there are way too many of them and a lot of the good ones are level-up/egg only. Let's be honest, here: Do we really need a super-bloated non-attacking movepool?
I've made an explicit effort to limit or outright avoid moves of the following categories:
Psychic-type (e.g. no Psych Up or Gravity)
Poison-type (e.g. no Sludge Wave)
Moves that modify anything other than Atk or Def (e.g. no Hone Claws)
Moves that can disrupt move choice (e.g. no Torment/Disable/Switcheroo)
Physical moves (all of the physical moves in this pool are justified by flavour or move-move guidelines)
I absolutely do not believe that most Psychic- or Poison-type moves make any sense on Tomohawk. In my view, Tomohawk should be using the powers of nature, not supernatural mind tricks or waves of garbage. (I don't quite get other people's justification of Mimic, either. Tomohawk is using a disguise, not copying others' actions.) I also want Tomohawk's Hurricane to get support entirely from rain or another Pokémon's Gravity, and not set it up for itself (other than with Rain Dance). I also find choice-disrupting moves potentially broken with this CAP, so I have excluded them. The movepool still does have some gems like bulky Substitute, Healing Wish, Memento, Roost and Yawn (arguably better than sleep if the opponent stays in).
You may have noticed that Baton Pass is this movepool's only switching move. Screw Volt Switch -.- Only Electric-types and Steel-types learn it. It doesn't make sense! Baton Pass is clearly the most effective switching move to include here, so that's what I have done.
I've also completely ignored move-move guidelines for Stealth Rock and Heat Wave. The main justification for this is that Tomohawk is not a Rock-type (or mainly rock-dwelling creature) or a Fire-type, so I'm violating "canon" a bit anyway by including these moves. I really didn't want to have to put in stuff like Sandstorm (doesn't make much sense to me) or Flame Charge (disallowed).
Name: ScratchetMain Design
Supporting Material
Side-on pose showing spots and egg shaped body.
This Tomohawk prevo concept is a little cub with a protective fluffy egg body. The ruffles around its face show the beginnings of the feather-like fur that Tomohawk uses for flight after it evolves. Its wide, flat, oversized arms hint at wings. Tomohawk's purple markings are foreshadowed in the purple spots on cub-hawk's egg body.
Typing: Normal / Fighting
Base Stats: 55 HP / 85 Atk / 80 Def / 20 SpA / 70 SpD / 40 Spe
Abilities: Scrappy / Prankster / Vital Spirit (DW)